ReMix:Chrono Cross "Trust My Unwavering Heart" 6:05

Speaking of Cyril the Wolf, he also contributed guitar, including some searing solo work towards the end, on this Chronopolis: Music Inspired by Chrono Cross symphonic rock collab, arranged by album director prophetik music (Bradley Burr), covering "Life ~A Distant Promise" & "Sea of Eden":

• arrangement - prophetik music
• vocals, lyrics - Janna McKnight
• guitar, baritone guitar - Cyril the Wolf
• mastering - timaeus222

"Full disclosure: as a 15-year-old playing this game one summer, I could never get this ending. I tried for a week. Janna contacted me and offered her services near the beginning of the project, but I didn't hit on the orchestral rock idea until a later conversation with her. After sussing out some initial song structure by combining "Garden of God's" fairly basic melody as the verse with "Distant Promise's" heroic theme as the chorus, Janna wrote the entire lyric text herself, based on the game's plot. After some collaboration to clean up the words, I contacted Cyril for guitars at this point, and we were able to put together a really fun version of some great game music."

Cyril the Wolf (Connor Pelkey) adds:

"I enjoyed stretching myself out for this one. I'm not primarily known as a guitar player, I think, but it was fun to do some guitar noodling and put my new baritone guitar through its paces. I really had to experiment to get the tone correct for a dense mix such as this one, but, with feedback from Brad, I think we got there. I'm super happy to have been able to contribute to the Chrono Cross project because I definitely didn't have the time to contribute a track all on my own. Thanks for having me!"

I'd say the tone experimentation was both successful & worthwhile; symphonic/orchestral rock is notoriously tricky to mix due to density & competing elements, but this lead guit cuts through and has a solid presence, while not obfuscating other elements. Janna's lyrics & vocals alike have an epic, dramatic quality, with a recurring rhetorical question motif. I had to look up "geas," too, which counts as a bonus vocabulary lesson that could help with future crossword puzzles. I'm torn a bit on whether vocal layering/harmony could have elevated the track; as-is it feels more raw & emotionally direct, though on the other hand choral backing harmonies would have differentiated chorus/verse and delivered some additional ear candy. Either way, it's a powerful, hopeful monologue that Janna turns into a melody through her amazing performance. Connor's solo at 3'53" is a crunchy, bluesy, classic rock sort of affair, which means I dig it - love the tone, love the restraint - and it juxtaposes nicely against the wilder noodling towards the end. Everything's mastered to bring these elements together, and the end result is an epic arrangement which pulls no punches, leverages the talents of its participants, and delivers an energetic, dramatic, & high-impact orchestral rock experience; bravo!